Various arrangements have heretofore been used for securing elastomeric parts to metal portions of motor vehicles. One such arrangement is found in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,792,475 issued Dec. 20, 1988 to Alfred A. Bien entitled Composite Joint Pad For Synthetic Resin Panels. The '475 patent discloses a mounting arrangement and method of manufacture for clamping synthetic resin panels to a workpiece such as a vehicle metal substructure. A composite joint pad has a plate-like metal bushing pre-molded therein. The bushing comprises a raised central embossment having an exposed portion terminating in an arcuate sectioned rim extremity positioned a predetermined distance outwardly from the bonding face of the pad. Upon the bushing exposed embossment being received in a panel aperture, the pad's face is bonded to a panel mating surface with the rim flush with an adjacent surrounding surface of the panel. As a result, the pad's arcuate sectioned rim is clamped to the substructure by means of a threaded fastener being overdriven in the bushing stem without causing stress on the panel.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,937 issued June 3, 1986 to Nagata et al. entitled Arcuate Side Molding discloses an arcuate resin plate side molding of a vehicle adapted to be attached to a curved surface of an automobile metal body avoiding holes being formed therein. The thermal expansion coefficient of the side molding is different from that of the automobile body. Therefore, the direct attachment of the molding to the metal body results in thermal deformation of the molding relative to the body, for example, in a hot day in summer. In the Nagata, et al. patent the molding comprises a resin plate having projections formed in the backside thereof, and an intermediate member provided with slots for receiving the projections of the resin plate. In assembling the resin plate and the intermediate member, the projections are inserted through the slots of the intermediate member, and then the tips of the projections are heat caulked to join the intermediate member to the resin plate. In this way the resin plate and the intermediate member are longitudinally slidable relative to each other.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,153 issued July 1, 1986 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,153 issued July 16, 1986 to common inventor W. S. Zaydel disclose a method for mounting a plastic body panel on a vehicle underlying metal substructure together with the mounting structure therefore. The Zaydel patents disclose a fastener fixedly attaching one end portion of the plastic panel on the metal structure. A mounting block is slidably mounted on the metal substructure longitudinally spaced from the fastener to define a path of longitudinal movement of the mounting block toward and away from the fixed end portion of the plastic panel. A spring urges the mounting block to a certain longitudinal position and is yieldable to permit movement of the mounting block away from the certain longitudinal position. A fastener attaches the plastic panel to the mounting block so that the plastic panel is effectively supported in a manner enabling longitudinal movement relative to the fixed one end portion to accommodate thermal or hygroscopic growth of the plastic panel.
The U.S. Pat. No. 3,875,661 issued Apr. 8, 1975 to Lindstrom et al. discloses a flexible subassembly for installation on a vehicle body. The Lindstrom subassembly includes a flexible elastomeric panel having a peripheral contour corresponding to a similar peripheral contour on the body, a plurality of square bosses on a mounting surface of the flexible panel, a rigid reinforcing panel disposed in juxtaposition with the mounting surface, and a plurality of apertures in the reinforcing panel corresponding to the bosses. Each aperture is larger than the corresponding boss in a direction parallel to the peripheral contour so that thermal expansion and contraction of the flexible panel is directed along the peripheral contour thereby to assure a continuous contour across the interface between the flexible panel and the body.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,564,232 issued Jan. 14, 1986 to Fujimori et al. discloses an automobile door with an inner plate and an outer plate wherein the outer plate has a panel formed from a synthetic resin. The panel is attached to a rigid metallic plate, such as steel, through a plurality of fastening holes formed in the longitudinal direction of the synthetic panel. One of the fastening holes near the forward end of the panel has a diameter substantially that of the fastening means. The remaining fastening holes are formed so as to allow longitudinal expansion and contraction of the synthetic panel. A lip portion is formed near the lower edge of the synthetic panel to engage with the inner plate of the door.
The U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 07/437,243 filed Nov. 16, 1989 now U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,102 issued Nov. 27, 1990, entitled "Fastening Arrangement For Plastic To Metal Parts", invented by Alfred A. Bien, and assigned to the assignee of the instant application. The Bien application discloses an improved arrangement for attaching a plastic panel and metal mounting strip sub-assembly to an automotive body metal substructure enabling controlled distortion free thermal expansion and contraction of the plastic panel relative to the mounting strip. The attaching arrangement comprises a metal spacing washer having a tubular sleeve portion formed with an integral frusto-conical spring flange. The washer sleeve portion free end extends through an elongated slot in the mounting strip and an aligned circular opening in the panel. A blind break-stem rivet is inserted through the washer bore and upon being set applies a predetermined axial clamping force biasing the washer flange into contact with the mounting strip. The rivet head undersurface may be provided with an annular locking ring adapted to engage the plastic panel outer surface. Upon the panel being heated to its thermal-relaxation temperature the locking ring is embedded in the softened plastic panel thereby reducing excess load on the washer spring flange in a tolerance self-compensating manner.